I agree with you - it is weird in that case! Stewing something means cooking it in boiling water, so I don't know how you can stew anything with just oil. Could stufare also mean "fry"? We need an Italian person's feedback

Edit: just saw Mary's post. I still think "stew" is wrong but I have no idea what to suggest instead.

I disagree that "stew" is appropriate in this context as stew implies cooking in ample liquid for a length of time.

Of the two options proposed, "braise" is better.

But I think that "sweat" is probably a better choice. Sweating means to cook gently without browning until the vegetables (usually onions or other aromatics) soften, release some of their liquid and become translucent.

As a new member I cannot post a link but if you google "sweat vegetables" you should find some good links.

But I think that "sweat" is probably a better choice. Sweating means to cook gently without browning until the vegetables (usually onions or other aromatics) soften, release some of their liquid and become translucent.

It's not that we have only one word in Italian (stufare) in this context which translates in a few different ways in English.
The recipe doesn't say "cuocere a fuoco lento" which would be "to sweat", it says STUFARE.
Is the recipe inaccurate? That's possible.
You're not looking for a literal translation? Fine, but "stufare" means to stew, not to sweat.
Then if someone says "Oh well, I know that recipe and I don't stew the veggies, I sweat them", that's a totally different point which has very little to do with translations but it's all about cookery.

You're not looking for a literal translation? Fine, but "stufare" means to stew, not to sweat.

Click to expand...

I agree that that's the dictionary (and the literal) translation, but in this context stew is wrong. As the others say, it is obvious that here they're talking about softening the vegetables, cooking them gently over a low heat, gently frying/cooking them without browning them: none of these expressions mean " to stew" in English.

The recipe doesn't say "cuocere a fuoco lento" which would be "to sweat", it says STUFARE.
Is the recipe inaccurate? That's possible.
You're not looking for a literal translation? Fine, but "stufare" means to stew, not to sweat.

Click to expand...

Stew implies slow cooking in boiling water. Given the context, whatever the Italian word means, the word "stew" sounds very wrong in English Does stufare cause confusion in the Italian version? Because stew would in English. I'm just curious as to how wrong the original sounds.

@ BE cooks: re buttered leeks, Delia says "let them sweat in their own juices".

Click to expand...

Jamie Oliver also "sweats" veggies.English Onion Soup .
As you will see from the recipe, he talks about sweating the onions and then adds this explanation:

Place a lid on the pan, leaving it slightly ajar, and cook slowly for 50 minutes, without colouring the vegetables too much.

Appassire, as Mary suggests. In the end I think we've decided that the original Italian stufare is incorrect, as it means to stew, whereas it's obvious that here they mean appassire, given they have to be added to a dish of lasagne.